New York Motor Vehicle Accidents May Cause Criminal Civil Action

Many people may think that their actions will have little impact on other individuals. However, that notion is often incorrect, and when parties act in a reckless manner, they typically put themselves and many others at risk of harm. Numerous motor vehicle accidents take place due to reckless driving, and crashes commonly lead to serious or fatal injuries.

It was recently reported that an accident in New York took place due to a driver’s recklessness. Apparently, a 33-year-old man was driving an SUV west when he attempted to pass another vehicle at a high speed. The man then lost control of the SUV, crossed three lanes, hit a guardrail and ended up in the eastbound lanes. Three other vehicles were apparently involved in the incident, but details were not given on how.

The crash resulted in a 16-year-old boy and a 34-year-old individual both suffering fatal injuries. They were apparently passengers in the SUV. Seven other people suffered minor injuries as a result of the crash. The SUV driver has reportedly had charges of vehicular manslaughter, DWI, aggravated vehicular homicide, reckless driving and other allegations brought against him.

When motor vehicle accidents result in fatalities, much more legal action could take place than just criminal charges. The families of the deceased victims could choose to file civil claims for wrongful death against the driver considered at fault. A separate owner of the vehicle that the at-fault driver was operating may be included as a defendant. Such claims could allow negatively affected parties to seek financial relief under New York for monetary damages stemming from fatal crashes.

Source: msn.com, “2 dead, 7 injured in 4-car crash in Queens”, Laura Dimon, July 17, 2017